Children's HealthWatch Publications

As an ongoing study of the Center for Hunger-Free Communities from 2004-2019, the Center published extensively on the findings and policy implications of Children's HealthWatch. Below is a selection of research and policy publications. A more exhaustive list of Center-wide publications can be found on our Research page. Additional research and information about Children's HealthWatch can be found at childrenshealthwatch.org.

The first two years of life are critical for children's development and growth. When children experience major shifts in their weight trajectories toward either underweight or overweight, pediatric caregivers rely on those data to indicate important information about a child's health. This report card examines weight trajectories among 2,719 children under 24 months of age who participated in the Children's HealthWatch interview twice within an average interval of 12 months.

This study evaluated a food insecurity screening and referral program collaboration between Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Benefits Data Trust (BDT). Of 7,284 families with children under five screened for food insecurity, over one thousand (1,133, 15.6%) reported food insecurity and 630 (55.6%) were referred to a benefits access organization for connection to public benefits and community resources. This study used screening and referral data from CHOP and BDT along with key informant interviews and focus groups with 19 caregivers and 11 clinic staff to evaluate the initiative's effectiveness. Results demonstrate importance of integrated screening and referral consent processes, strong communication, and convenient outreach for families.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) has limited success in building self-sufficiency, and rarely addresses exposure to trauma as a barrier to employment. The Building Wealth and Health Network'srandomized controlled trial tested the effectiveness of financial empowerment combined with trauma-informed peer support against standard TANF programming. Despite high exposure to trauma and adversity, caregivers in the full intervention (financial empowerment and trauma-informed peer support) reported improved self-efficacy and depressive symptoms, and reduced economic hardship compared to the control and partial intervention groups. We conclude that financial empowerment education with trauma-informed peer support is more effective than standard TANF programming at improving behavioral health, reducing hardship, and increasing income. Policymakers may consider adapting TANF to include trauma-informed programming.

Caregivers of children 0 to 48 months of age were interviewed in five urban medical centers from May 2009 to December 2015. Caregivers reported on the following: caregiver health, maternal depressive symptoms, child’s health, lifetime hospitalizations, developmental risk, and three housing circumstances, which were categorized as being behind on rent in the past 12 months, multiple moves, and child’s lifetime history of homelessness. Of 22,324 families, 34% had at least one of the following adverse housing circumstances: 27% had been behind on rent, 8% had made multiple moves, and 12% had a history of being homeless. We concluded that three forms of housing instability were associated with adverse caregiver and child health among low-income renter households. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends social screening within health care; providers could consider assessing for behind on rent, multiple moves, and homelessness in high-risk practices.

This study examined how mothers’ Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) relate to their children’s developmental risk (PEDS) and assessed how the association is mediated through mothers’ depressive symptoms and fair/poor health. Mothers who reported household substance use, mental illness, or an incarcerated household member during childhood were more likely to report at least one child developmental concern on the PEDS. Mothers’ physical and mental health may help to explain the relationship between their own childhood adversity and their children’s development.

If mothers experienced adversity in their childhoods, their young children are more likely to experience risks to their physical, social, and cognitive development. Mothers’ physical and mental health may help to explain the relationship between their own childhood adversity and their children’s development.

Exposure to childhood adversity, including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, is associated with negative long-term health and economic outcomes. This study used cross-sectional data from 1,255 female caregivers of children under 4 years surveyed in an urban clinical setting to investigate the association between caregivers’ adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and household and child food insecurity, taking into account depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms and ACEs were independently associated with household and child food insecurity, and depressive symptoms modified the association between ACEs and household and child food insecurity. Comprehensive policy interventions incorporating nutrition assistance and behavioral health may address intergenerational transmission of disadvantage.

The purpose of this research is to assess food insecurity in low-income households with young children with and without special health care needs (SHCN) and evaluate relationships between child Supplemental Security Income (SSI) receipt and food insecurity. A cross-sectional survey of caregivers was conducted at 5 medical centers. Of 6,724 index children, 81.5% screened negative for SHCN, 14.8% positive for SHCN (no SSI), and 3.7% had SHCN and received SSI. Among households with children with SHCN, those with children receiving, versus not receiving SSI, were more likely to report household but not child food insecurity. Low-income households with young children having SHCN are at risk for food insecurity, regardless of child SSI receipt and household participation in other public assistance programs. Policy recommendations include reevaluation of assistance programs' income and medical deduction criteria for households with children with SHCN to decrease the food insecurity risk faced by these children and their families.

This study among 51 parents of young children under age four investigated how parents that report marginal, low and very low food security characterize how trade-offs associated with food insecurity affect parents' mental health and child well-being. We carried out 51 semi-structured audio-recorded interviews after participants responded to a survey regarding food security status and maternal depressive symptoms. Among participants reporting both food insecurity and depressive symptoms, we identified three primary areas of concern: trade-offs, mental health, and child well-being. Parents described how trade-offs associated with food insecurity have a profound relationship with their mental health and home environment that strongly affects young children. Partnerships between healthcare providers, policymakers, and parents are essential to successfully address and prevent the poor child health outcomes of toxic stress associated with food insecurity and poverty.

A summary of the research article "The Relationship between Childhood Adversity and Food Insecurity: 'It's like a bird nesting in your head'" published in Public Health Nutrition. The article discusses an investigation between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including abuse, neglect, and household instability - and current household food insecurity among thirty-one female caregivers who reported household food insecurity.

The goal of the current analysis is to evaluate whether the recalled birth weight and gestational age of young low- income children whose mothers report homelessness during pregnancy differ from those recalled by mothers who have neither been homeless during the pregnancy nor within the lifetime of the child, as well as from mothers who were housed throughout pregnancy but became homeless after the child’s birth, which we term postnatal homelessness. A finding that prenatal, but not postnatal, homelessness is associated with adverse birth outcomes would suggest that prenatal homelessness is unique, time- dependent risk factor, rather than a marker for other maternal and social characteristics.

Often times, low-income families with young children under the age of 4 experience a continuous cycle of hardships (i.e., food insecurity, energy insecurity, and housing insecurity). These experiences have negative consequences on the developing bodies and brains of young children.

Forty women described exposure to violence ranging from fear of violence to personal experiences with rape. Exposure to violence affected mental health, ability to continue school and obtain work with living wages, and subsequently the ability to afford food. Exposure to violence during childhood and being a perpetrator of violence were both linked to very low food security status and depressive symptoms. Ten of seventeen (59 %) participants reporting very low food security described life-changing violence, compared with three of fifteen (20 %) participants reporting low food security and four of twelve (33 %) reporting food security. Examples of violent experiences among the very low food secure group included exposure to child abuse, neglect and rape that suggest exposure to violence is an important factor in the experience of very low food security.

The causes and contexts of food insecurity among children in the U.S. are poorly understood because the prevalence of food insecurity at the child level is low compared to the prevalence of household food insecurity. In addition, caregivers may be reluctant to admit their children may not be getting enough food due to shame or fear they might lose custody of their children.

Based on our ongoing qualitative research with mothers of young children, we suggest that food security among children is related to adverse childhood experiences of caregivers. This translates into poor mental and physical health in adolescence and adulthood, which can lead to inability to secure and maintain meaningful employment that pays a living wage.

This paper explores Children’s HealthWatch’s research methods, selected findings, and examples of diverse approaches to dissemination of these findings in professional settings, national and local reports and briefs, and legislative testimony.

Between 1998 and 2007, we interviewed 22069 low-income caregivers with children younger than 3 years who were seen in 7 US urban medical centers. We assessed food insecurity, child health status, developmental risk, weight, and housing insecurity for each child’s household. Our indicators for housing insecurity were crowding (>2 people/bedroom or>1 family/residence) and multiple moves (‡2 moves within the previous year). After adjusting for covariates, crowding was associated with household and child food insecurity compared with the securely housed, as were multiple moves. Multiple moves were associated with fair or poor child health, developmental risk, and lower weight-for-age.

Housing insecurity is associated with poor health, lower weight, and developmental risk among young children. Policies that decrease housing insecurity can promote the health of young children and should be a priority.